The White Widow
by zethonring
Summary: Anti-hero Nightshade faces her most formidable enemy in the guise of the other worldly entity from a dimension not unlike her own
1. Eve

**Eve**

A lot of people may not know this about me; but I've always been quite bookish. In my younger days I used to spend hours in the nearby library when things got too heated at home. Back then I was mainly into fantasies, something about other worlds always fascinated me, though I had little to no interest in reading about the real world. Reality was boring, stale and overly predictable. But in the words of others, I could lose myself in realities far beyond the scope of regular human imagination. It was a time of optimism, one of endless wonder. That time had long since passed however. I wasn't that same girl any more, however much I missed it. I still read often, but nowhere near to the same degree. Now my tastes leant to more sophisticated works, by authors with names I could scarcely pronounce. Not today however, today I was looking for something much less reasonable, I delved into my local library for works I wasn't sure existed. I'd been doing a lot of research lately into other worlds, I had a longing interest in learning more about my homeland and the multitude of conspiracies surrounding it. I'd heard a lot from my mother growing up, and it always fascinated me a great deal more than I let on. I always found a strange fascination in seeing others interpretations of a world that was all too familiar to me already.

I waded through the darker sections of the library and into the more conspiracy driven rows of works. Looking through the books I saw a mixture of those that looked intriguing, and those that looked flat-out ridiculous. It was some time before the book that interested me most caught my eyes. It was by an author I didn't recognize, but featured a subject I did; "Night and Day, the worlds beyond our own", I looked it over a moment before grabbing it with haste. After flicking through a few pages and getting a scent of the old tattered paper I closed it and looked to one side. I didn't notice anyone initially, but upon looking now I saw a somewhat peculiar sight. A woman, one I'd never seen before was stood at the end of the aisle staring straight at me. I strained my eyes at first to get a better look, sifting through my memories to see if the face rang familiar. However much I looked however nothing would come to me. I stared at her a moment longer, waiting to see what she wanted, but still, she said nothing. I began to lose my patience when things got even more bizarre, it was then her eye began twitching in a way that was all too unsettling. I nodded with uncertainty before making a hasty exit. I might not have known her but judging by her reaction, I didn't want to. I made my way to the end of the library and began checking out. It was around this time I noticed someone standing close behind me. Looking back with uncertainty, my heart sank at the sight of the very same woman.

"You okay?" I said to her awkwardly, she didn't respond, perhaps unsurprisingly, and merely stared with the same twitching eye. I laughed the incident off and made my way out the store with haste. As I walked down the steps and made my way back to my motorcycle, Shadow, I looked into the building once more and shuddered at the sight of the same disturbed looking woman staring back at me from the confines of the library. I stared at her a moment longer, waiting to see if she would give any sign of friendliness or aggression, but she merely continued staring. I threw my helmet on a second later and sped away, hoping to never see her again.

I lay in my high rise apartment that evening bored as usual. I sifted through the book, and though it was dense with information, it wasn't nearly as interesting as I'd hoped. Nothing about the Land of Nightshades, it mainly focused on mythical lands from legends originating in south-east Asia and the Arab world. For what it was I still had an okay time learning a great deal. Couldn't quite wrap my head around the immense number of belief systems that were rife in just about every corner of the globe to this day. People living mere miles away from each other living by completely different creeds.

Towards the end there were a few sections however that most certainly seemed to mirror the land I originated from. There were tales of a land the likes of which had never been visited, with a people who could manipulate shadow and shape the very fabric of reality to their will. While not wholly accurate, it made for an interesting read. One of these days I ought to write a book on the subject myself, perhaps make a few bucks and flaunt if to some of my old colleagues, that's one way to be super. It was around this time I decided to check the TV, it was getting late by now and as per usual I decided to see what was going on around the world before I began to make a night of things. I switched from one network to the next, a crappy stand-up special on one channel, a football game on the next. None of it interested me in the slightest. It was then I switched over to the news and my attention finally piqued. They were discussing a war in a foreign country, one of many, and the campaigns that lead up to it. I watched it, semi-interested when the broadcast was interrupted. There seemed to be an incident going on at some point in a city. Once they named it I shot up from my foetal position and watched with intense interest. They said there was a catastrophe going on at a location not all too far from my own, in a library that sounded all too familiar. It was the place I was at this morning, the same one from which I rented the book. They say they was a person of immense power involved and many had been slaughtered. Finally, it seemed I had something to do. It didn't take long for me to make up my mind, within minutes I was getting dressed while following the coverage. It seemed to be getting worse. I hurried even greater than usual and within a moment I was ready and headed out the door.

I sped through town at a blinding rate, shadow purred as I wove in and out of traffic. The further I got the more people I saw looking panicked, running in every feasible direction. Police were trying to cordon off certain areas. Once they got sight of me I backed off to the shadows and whisked around then, had a few close calls when they tried to stop me, luckily for them I could phase. Swimming through the darkness of the night I was soon approaching the block where the madness seemed to be happening. Now there were people in every conceivable direction, I could barely see a thing that was happening. I sped forward phasing through a few more frightened individuals before they could see me, that was when I saw it. Something floated in the distance, I thought it an object at first, one blindingly white, then I soon recognized it to be a person, one I didn't recognize. I pulled shadow up to the street corner and hid him in the shadows in case anyone got any funny ideas. I then made my way to the plateau, to get a better sight of what exactly was happening. Even standing closer I still couldn't make sense of it. A lady clothed in blue and white robes, with white hair and a long white and gold sceptre hovered above the fleeing people, in the distance stood police aiming guns, trying to reason with her. She didn't seem to care, every bullet they attempted to fire disappeared in a cloud of dust in what seemed to be a barrier surrounding her. It was then she retaliated, aiming her sceptre at a cluster of officers she reached for something within her and out the other end came a beam of white light that sent them flying back. Whoever this was, I could tell it wasn't going to be an easy fight.

I stood on the fringes for quite some time, watching the unfolding chaos. All the while she seemed to be shouting something, something I couldn't quite hear. I stepped closer, almost within her field of view but still not able to hear the words precisely. I soon realized my only option was t expose myself to her vision so I could get a clearer picture. Stepping from the corner I heard her shout the words

"Bring her to ME!" upon finishing she shot another beam of light that decimated a slab of concrete and incinerated the side of a nearby police car. I racked my brain for what felt like an eternity to remember if I'd heard of any such villain, I knew of a few similar ones, but none quite like this. I thought of a plan of action, a way to put an end to this madness when she finally noticed me. Looking to one side she finally realized the shadowy darkness visible from the corner of her eye was in fact me. She stared at me with uncertainty a moment, as though not sure she really believed what she was doing. I thought of saying something to her, but before I had the chance a jet of light was sent spiralling in my direction. I had quick reflexes, but even I couldn't fully avoid it. I was sent hurling by a beam of energy that felt a lot more painful than it should have. It seems my suspicions were correct, this lady was able to manipulate light, perhaps my one and only weakness. I hid myself in the shadows as I heard her draw nearer. She descended from the plateau and began making her way over to me. That attack, whatever it was had left a pretty nasty scratch on my right arm. I held it in agony as I made my way over to another corner where I hoped she wouldn't be able to see me. I stumbled as I ran and no doubt she heard me. A jet of light incinerated the wall I was approaching and I hovered backwards a moment. Before long another jet of light was headed my way. I summed wall of darkness to absorb the impact, though it did little to no good. The light phased through it like it wasn't even there and I barely dodged it before it almost took off my arm completely. It seemed I was going to have to get serious. Flying skyward, I shot for the stars, leaving a trail of darkness behind me as I went. The woman in white followed me, It must have looked like quite a sight from the ground. It was unbearably cold up here, I wasn't sure I could stay there much longer. Once I reached a high enough altitude I stopped dead in my tracks, now the woman in white stared at me with a fury the likes of which I hadn't seen in years. It was now I finally decided to confront her.

"What to you want?"

"Take me."

"I'm sorry?"

"You know where." she said, and though I was confused, I was starting to see where she was going, and I didn't like it one but.

"Take me to the Land of Nightshades" she said as she flew toward me in a fury. I narrowly avoided her clasping hands and straightened myself up.

"What do you mean take you there? Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Siara, the White Widow of Lightland, and I have a bone to pick with you and your people."

"Okay, well how about you take it up with them?" I said, creating a portal beside me. The White Widow looked at it momentarily, as if not fully believing me. She then slowly hovered toward it, keeping her guard up at every moment.

"You're wiser than you look it seems-" she began, flying into the portal, it was then the illusion vanished and a rope of darkness caught itself around her neck. Extending a rope of dark, I wrung it around her neck and swung her repeatedly, letting go at the peak of my strength and she went flying into the ground. The crater was quite immense, people, even the police went running. Though I harbour no love for my homeland, I have unfinished business there and wasn't about to let some psychopath wage war on my ancestors. I slowly began to descend. It seemed the lady hadn't fully recovered from my attack, I very much doubted I'd killed her considering the level of power she possessed, even so, a tinge of regret ran through me after a second minute of no movement. It was then, in the midst of my regretful thoughts she finally awakened. A beam of light, the width of a skyscraper went shooting upwards and all around the ground seemed to tremble. I descended rapidly, hoping to restrain her before things went further. As I reached the ground I peered into the never ending beam of light and caught sight of the madwoman, her clothes were torn from the impact but she looked even more enraged than before. The entire city centre trembled as she screamed in a fit of rage and I began to back away, not sure I could handle whatever the hell I was up against. Her eyes began searching now, doing a complete 360 for an sign of me, once she realized I was no longer in the sky she turned her attention to her immediate vicinity and locked sight on me in seconds. In the blink of an eye, before I could even move she was in front of me. A split second later I felt the punch of a titan send me flying backwards. My insides felt like they might explode I was in so much agony. Summoning the energy within I quickly raised my own strength and defences against her next attack. Before I could however she was on me again, another punch sent me flying, luckily this time I was able to summon a little armour to absorb the blow, had I not done that in time I'd probably be down for the count. I needed to move quickly now, she wasn't going to give me even a second to recover. I phased myself out of reality for a split second in an attempt to avoid the next attack, despite it all she was still able to grab me in my semi physical form and throw me to the ground. I summoned a wall of darkness which absorbed a good amount of damage just in time to protect myself. It seemed I wouldn't have any time to waste, I was going to have to give it my all, sooner rather than later. Summoning everything I could in the moment, I built a construct of immense darkness and held my ground as I saw her jet towards me once again. In the space of a couple seconds I composed myself, readied an attack and set off from the ground, flying straight for her. She didn't seem fazed even the slightest. Priming her most powerful attack, I saw a construct of light resembling a falcon flying in my direction, compared to mine, a crow. I screamed in a fury, she did the same as we clashed in an attack that sent shock waves across the town. Never in all my life have I dealt with an attack so furious. I felt the light ripple through me with an agony that was almost unbearable, though from what I could see she wasn't faring much better. She seemed just as worn out as me and as I went flying I made a conscious effort to hide myself from her field of view. I went flying into a nearby river, I had no idea where she went. I held myself under for more time than I was comfortable with and after a few moments rose to the surface for air. She was no where to be seen. I gathered myself and flew off into the night with what little energy I had. It seemed it wasn't enough, setting down on the pavement I began making my way back to my apartment with what little energy I had left.


	2. Alice

**Alice**

For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by other worlds. At the beginning it was more about books, I used to read genre fiction, but lost interest in it the more time that went by. My fascination probably finds its inception in the earliest days of my youth when dad used to take me and mom around the world because of work obligations. I always enjoyed the life and excitement of foreign lands, and by extension I wanted to learn everything about them, from the culture of the people that lived there to the tales of their own historic giants. By now there are very few corners of the world I've not yet visited, and the ones I have been to have burned into my memory in more ways than one. More recently I've had a fascination with worlds beyond our own, places outside the visible planes of reality. I know it must sound silly, but, there comes a time when even the world itself starts to feel a little stale. It all began when I started seeing super-people in the news. They interested me at first, as they did everyone else, but soon I had other reasons for wanting to learn more about them. I heard of people from other planets, beings from other dimensions, the likes of which I found endlessly interesting. My newest obsession was with a fabled land of light manipulating people calling themselves the Lightwalkers, apparently they come from a place known as the Land of Light, or Lightworld. A few years ago the very idea of investigating something like this would never have crossed my mind. Though now, as I grow weary of travelling through tropic jungles and Arabian deserts, I find myself desiring a new kind of adventure. I'd read somewhere about a village on the outskirts of Dagestan was home to a people said to hold some kind of connection to the people of Lightworld and I took it upon myself to investigate.

I set off for the village relatively soon and before I knew it I was in Eastern Europe. In all honesty this wasn't a corner of the world I particularly relished. Though it was interesting to catch the sights of historical powerhouses, an air of misery washed over me as I set foot into the bleak plain of the cluster of houses. Even from the get go I could tell something wasn't right, though in my past experience it was well known the more remote a civilization the less welcoming they tended to be to outsiders. Unwelcoming didn't seem the right word to describe this place. There was something in the air, something in the movements of the people, the looks on their faces and even the architecture of the houses that hinted at an otherworldly influence. I didn't let it deter me, though perhaps I should have. My first encounter was with a passer by, I attempted to ask him where I might find a local historian, he merely glanced in my direction before carrying on working. I then tried the same with an older woman and got similar results. I began to wonder if perhaps my Russian was a little rusty. I could speak it fluently along with about 7 other languages but it had been an age since I last had to use it. I wandered around the village for some time before finally making some progress. A man, some sort of village elder was staring at me from the window of his house. I ignored him at first, then decided to pursue him on the off chance he might know something. As I approached the man he simply stared at me, unmoving and unblinking, I wasn't sure he even breathed. Once upon his house I waved and gestured for him to open the window. It took him a moment but he eventually opened it with movements that were much more energetic and less frail than I imagined they might be. I asked him if he knew of anyone in the village who might be able to tell me of the land of light. He tried to hide his surprise, but I caught the faintest glimpse of a worry beneath his eyes. He thought things over for a moment before directing me to a house just a short distance away to meet a woman named Karrina. I nodded uncertainly at his words and once he was done I made my way down the path he'd recommended. It didn't take long to find the place he indicated, within minutes I could see a house in the distance, at the top of a hill overlooking the rest of the village. In a way it looked ominous, just a good thing I wasn't prone to superstitions. Making my way to the end of the path, I felt my heart sink with each and every step, something about this really didn't seem right to me, but now I had no choice but to continue. In moments I found myself at the end of the house coloured black, I was almost afraid to knock. After composing myself and taking a breath, I knocked calmly on the door. There was no reply. I looked around the house for any signs of life and saw nothing. There didn't seem to be any windows, nor were there any other doors. It was unsettling to say the least. I knocked again and same as before got no immediate response. I began to wonder if perhaps this was all a ruse, a wild goose chase of a girl messing with things beyond her depth. I knocked one final time and it was then I finally heard something. Footsteps seemed to be moving from the other side of the door. They were incredibly slow, I stood for an unprecedented amount of time before the door finally swung open partially and I caught the frame of a petite old woman, with white hair and eyes of blue so light they were almost white, she looked as though she may be blind. I introduced myself immediately, though got no response from her, I then made it clear why I was there, still no immediate response.

"I was wondering if there was anything you could tell me about the Land of Light? I understand a resident of this village at one point had an encounter with it." The woman simply stared at me for some time. I stared back, curious but worried, at one point I got the urge to turn on my heel and head running back for the airport. Until she finally responded.

"Come inside dear." she said, turning on her heel and heading inwards, she didn't open the door any further. Pushing the ancient door back myself I made my way inside. The first thing I noticed was the absence of smell, it was as though nothing in the world had ever been inside this room, and yet before me I saw an assortment of objects. A table in the centre of the room, a bookcase to one side, a shelf with various dolls and confectioneries, some of which looked to be from another millennium. As I walked around inside the lady moved at a sluggishly slow pace ahead of me.

"Wait here." She said, before going into another room. I sat at the centre table, taking in the sights around me. Minutes passed and I found myself feeling drowsy, just as I began to drift away the door opened and the lady came back with a small box. Scuttling to the table she placed it on top and took a seat beside me.

"What is it you know exactly about the land of Light?" she asked, I explained what little information I'd been able to gather over the years.

"Where I'm from it seems to be an urban legend of sorts, most people don't even believe it exists but I've always suspected something more."

"What made you suspect?"

"Simply put, in my country things have gotten a little... crazy the last few years. Silly as it sounds it feels like just about anything is possible now so I thought, why not really."

"So you flew half-way across the world on a whim did you?" she said, at which I smiled politely and replied.

"It seems I did yes." the old lady laughed

"Well, being reckless is what it is to be young I suppose. Now, this land you speak of. I don't know too much about it. What I do know is my father had some encounter with it in the late 1800's. "

"Yes, this is what I wanted to ask you about, what exactly happened? Because most of the reports I can find are conflicting and contradictory."

"What happened darling..." the old lady said, opening the box and pulling from it an assortment of foreign looking objects. "Is to do with this object here." she said, laying them out. I looked at the items with confusion, not sure what I was seeing but feeling curious still.

"What are these?"

"These are what the denizens of Lightland left behind. It all goes together you see, see if you can assemble it." she finished. I looked at the objects with curiosity before making a move. They seemed complex upon first glance but fit together fairly neatly. Once they were together it seemed to be some sort of stick.

"Some sort of rod or... oh it seems to be a sceptre"

"Yes, it does, there's something else too." the lady said, hopping from her seat. "Follow me" she said, going into the back room. I went with her, still uncertain but dying to know more. Once inside the room I was taken aback at how bleak it was. There were candles burning but they seemed to be creating little to no light. There were creepy looking dolls hanging from the walls and in the middle of it all was a cauldron with a still liquid sitting inside. I was hesitant at first, but the lady reassured me there was nothing hazardous about it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"You'll see, come a little closer." she said, now I began to feel a little nervous, shaking away my worries I moved onward and stared into the cauldron. The liquid was either black or colourless, difficult to tell with the dim lighting of the room.

"What am I meant to be seeing?"

"Use the sceptre."

"Use it for what?"

"Just put it in the liquid and stir." she said, in a slightly aggressive tone, I was starting to get legitimately worried now, I considered backing away, leaving the whole thing when the lady looked at me with a fury.

"I don't know about -" before I could finish she grabbed my arm and shoved it into the cauldron. I felt a burn the likes of which I didn't know existed. I was in agony, all the while a bright white light began to emanate from the sceptre and the old lady. That was the last thing I could recollect for quite some time.

By the time my consciousness came back to me I was on a plane home. I had no recollection of getting here, or of exactly what happened a moment ago, I simply remember making my way to a village and deciding to turn back at the last minute. Whatever had taken place, at least I'd be home soon. Ever since that trip I've found myself having occasional blackouts. Sometimes they last for minutes, other times I find myself losing entire days. I've no idea what's causing it, but it all began with my trip across the world. What exactly is happening to me I dare not think, but I get the feeling sooner or late this is going to get dire.


	3. Eden

**Eden**

I woke up the next morning in complete agony. I'd been in a few fights in my time, I wasn't sure any had taken their toll on me quite like this. The woman in white, the "White Widow" as she called herself was beyond my comprehension. It seemed I'd need help from an outside party. Right now this was the last thing I wanted to do, but, I needed to make haste in case that madwoman manages to track me down. I created a suit of darkness around me to help steady my body. I clench it, much harder than necessary and roll myself out of bed. My injuries, it seemed, weren't as bad as I initially feared, but they weren't great either. Cursing with irritation I raised myself up and began getting dressed, I had some place to be. Sifting through my closet I picked an assortment of hoodies and drapes that would allow me to see but keep me covered all the same. Once I was covered I made my way out into the living area. I stood in meditation for a moment, preparing myself for the advent to come, what I was about to do was no easy task, I had one shot and if I failed I likely wouldn't survive. Breathing to calm myself, I stood back and opened my arms, opening a portal to the Land of Nightshades, though only to one specific part. I stepped inside, a second later I was in another realm completely alien to earth. Looking around, I saw the familiar red of the carpet, the familiar brown of the wooden book stands and above all the eerie silence of the Nightshade library. I walked around stealthily, keeping an eye out for movement and a steady ear for any sounds of hostility. There seemed to be none in the immediate vicinity so I continued my passage forward. I ran my hand over the ancient plaques and cases, centuries older than even the oldest of Earths libraries. In another life I might have spent quite a bit of time here. Unfortunately I still wasn't too welcome in these parts. I turned a corner into a narrow hallway, the stench of dry paper and wood floating through the air as I made my way to the end. I froze for a moment at the sound of movement, it took a moment to realize it originated from a room up above, beyond anyone's sight. I let out a sigh of relief as I reached the end of the hallway and knocked on the door reading "Faculty" Silence followed for mere seconds until I heard the hasty footsteps of someone approaching, I hoped intently it was the person I was looking for, if not I might as well turn myself in. I stood back in relief at the sight of someone I recognized, a man named Dragan, one of the few in this world I could trust. His eyes widened at the sight of me, he had to stop himself from yelling out my name in surprise. When he did I told him silently how I needed help, he nodded, understandingly and let me in immediately.

Dragan's office was just as plane as I remembered. Hardly any decorations to call his own, just the man I remember. He hurried over to his desk, clearing it of clutter.

"Apologies for the mess, it's been a while since anyone's been to this corner of the library. Reading isn't much of a priority among the youth of today it seems."

"Same where I'm from."

"I can imagine. It's been quite a while Eve, what is it, 2, 3 years now?"

"Yes, last time I saw this place I was running for my life" I said, then gesturing to the excess robes I wore. "Not a lot's changed"

"Indeed. What's happening now then?"

"I need your help looking into something. The other night I got attacked by this woman... this lady in white. I've been trying to figure out who she is, she seems to have some type of connection to this place."

"To here? That's impossible, everyone from here is accounted for."

"Well, apparently not because she was pretty insistent I take her here."

"Who was she exactly, did she tell you anything?"

"She said something about coming from a place called 'Lightland' I've never heard of it, so I thought I'd ask you." at that Dragan seemed taken aback, as though he hadn't heard me correctly, a great and terrible response I suppose.

"Lightland? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she said something a long those lines, and she was damn determined to come here, I wouldn't let her though."

"Good. Did she say anything else, a name or anything?"

"She called herself Siara, the White Widow" I replied, at that Dragan seemed very troubled, as though he'd remembered something terrible.

"Oh dear, that's not good at all."

"I take it you know something then... about this Lightland?"

"A little more than that I'm afraid I used to study it. Lightland is a well known story here, to many it's a myth but for anyone who's done a minute of research it's pretty solid."

"What is it?"

"Lightland, or The Land of Light as it was known, was an ancient kingdom that existed parallel to our own for thousands of years. They were one of our greatest rivals, they used to come here frequently, we engaged in numerous realm wars."

"Realm wars?"

"Wars in more than one reality. The Light people were probably our most formidable foes, come to think of it, nearly wiped us out a few times, we always managed though, thanks in large part to your family. But.. about 120 years ago was their final war, we decimated them so completely their civilization collapsed. Their royal family, the Siara's were mostly killed in a revolt, though there were rumours that some may have escaped. Not here though, any that made it here were swiftly executed."

"Civilized as always."

"Well, those were the methods of the time I'm afraid. Not one survivor."

"So you're telling me this Siara, this 'White Widow' is one of them? Why would she want to come here?"

"For revenge most likely, whatever the reason we can't allow it, you have to do everything in your power to stop her Eve, or else who knows, she may take her angst out on your world instead." finished Dragan. At that I sat in consideration, deciding my next move. I thought it over for quite a while before getting up.

"Thanks Dragan, you've been a big help"

"Any time" he said, thinking events over himself. I got up from my seat and began making my way out when a knock at the door startled me. A voice from the other side spoke;

"Dragan? Who are you talking to?"

"Myself buddy, take a hint" he said, gesturing for me to leave. I didn't need telling. I created a portal and in seconds I was gone.


	4. Siara

**Siara**

Whatever it takes. That's what I always said, though the more time that passes the less I'm convinced I have what it takes. It's been a few days since my encounter with the Nightshade woman, I haven't seen her since, not for want of trying. It took some time reach my former prominence after that fight, though my attacks did a great deal of damage, the same was done unto me, far more so than I'd have imagined. She was definitely a strong one, it seemed I'd underestimated her slightly, I won't make the same mistake again. This was more than just a grudge match, this was personal, I may be the only survivor of my homeland, but I'm determined to see its destroyers brought to justice, even if I have to decimate this world in the process.

It would be a shame to say goodbye to Alice, despite her naivete I find myself growing somewhat fond of her. Perhaps it's her fascination with my world, or her simple yet likeable demeanour, but deep down, part of me feels bad for interfering with her. Perhaps it's even a side-effect of the synchronization, the other lady I'd possessed a few decades prior would make any new soul feel fresh. It's also a plus she seems to have little to no knowledge of my presence, though I can feel her inching closer with every evening she spends trying to piece together her occasional "blackouts", when the time comes where she's finally aware I may have to take full control as I did with the others, until then, Alice can live her life, her fascinations with history and parallel dimensions can remain the stuff of manuscripts and legends.

Though my search has been ultimately fruitless, tonight I find myself getting closer to the prize, my LumoSceptre may be an ancient piece of tech but it still works in surprising ways. Through a single drop of her blood I've been able to narrow down her location within 2 square miles. I've looked through records and checked the tenancy histories of everyone in the vicinity, or rather Alice has, not quite understanding why. I've managed to narrow things down to one particular building, there's no guarantee this is the place but it seems the most likely suspect. I would definitely need to hurry however, despite my immense powers even I seem to be falling victim to the tendrils of time, possession is a handy ability, of that much I'm certain, but it's not without its setbacks. The more people I possess the more I feel myself fading, I've already lived far beyond my years, but I just need a little longer to make this all right.

She doesn't seem like a bad lady, this Nightshade, unfortunately for her she's the only thing standing between me and my long gestating vengeance. I feel her now, as I felt her the other night. Alice walks around nervously, as though she can sense the advent of some incoming storm. Though my Sceptre's powers are relatively weak, even now they sense the welling darkness emanating from a nearby source. I shall let Alice wander for no more than a few minutes before taking control and becoming the White Widow for what I hope shall be the last time in this world. I can feel her getting closer now, almost upon me as I ready my wrath of light.

This is for them, my father and mother, my brothers and sisters who perished long before their days, massacred by the troops we once considered allies. Truth be told I always slightly admired them growing up, despite their warring nature I'd always felt myself drawn to the denizens of Lightland. Little did I know how barbaric they would be, all I remember is the sounds of my siblings crying in agony, the sight of my father being run through as he shielded my mother, my distant relatives then handing me a weapon from ancient times and sending me reeling to another dimension. I couldn't stand earth at first, I found the prospect of a world that was half light and dark somewhat perplexing, but in time I got used to it. In time I decided to look more into the history of the land of Nightshades and its people, and in time I began to plot my revenge. For years I'd waited, decades, who would have thought my ticket to one of Earths only Nightshade people would walk right into the home of my possessed. Things may have turned out easier for me then, but they were about to get a lot harder. It is almost time to go to war, once I have Nightshade, then it's only a matter of making my way to her homeland, once I'm there, then things can truly begin. Then the Siara clan will finally be avenged, and the Land of Nightshades will meet its reckoning.


	5. Nightshade

**Nightshade**

I can't really remember the last time I was this worried. Perhaps in my days in some of the teams of olde, though even then I still had back up. Right now I was alone, and about to face one of my most powerful foes to date. It seemed I was fighting more than one person, a light manipulating witch from another dimension, and the captive person within her, though I still wasn't too sure of the exact nature of their relationship. My guess would be she took her over against her will, which would make things even more difficult, now not only did I have to face a behemoth of an enemy again but I had to worry about collateral damage. It was never really my style, playing the hero, I guess this time I didn't really have a choice.

I made my way to the roof of my apartment, I had no doubt she would be nearby, I could sense her, deep down there was some link between her person and mine, probably due to the shared history of our ancestors. I leant over the top of the roof and glared into the street. I could barely see a thing from this height, the majority of people and vehicles melded together into one cosmopolitan blur of chaos. I could sense her getting closer though, whether I could see her or not was irrelevant. It was time to move. Standing back and composing myself, I sent the darkness flowing as I shot up into the sky. I hovered for a moment, looking around for any movement. In mere seconds I could see a flash from beneath me, deep down on the concrete pavement. She was coming. Once she was in my field of view I shot in the opposite direction, flying as fast as I could. The cold wind of night whipped at my clothes and muffled my hearing, I used a small shied of dark to keep from freezing too much. The further I flew the closer she seemed to be approaching, she definitely had me beat for speed. Didn't matter too much as we were almost at our destination. I sailed through the cloudy skies until the field came into view. This time, I'd make sure there were as few people around as possible. Don't need a slew of bodies on my conscience above everything else. I jettisoned to the ground and landed with a heavy thud, sending dirt flying and insects scuttling. Two seconds later she did the same, landing a good five meters in front of me.

The two of us stared at each other, both of us seemed to feel somewhat sorry for the other, but neither of us had changed our minds.

"You don't have to do this." I spoke.

"I don't see any other way."

"The land of Nightshades it's... it's a horrible place, but there are people I know there, things I still have to do."

"Not my problem."

"Destroying them won't bring your people back."

"Doesn't make any difference. They need to pay. Which side started things is beside the point, so is the collateral damage."

"So, suppose you do win, suppose you get your revenge, what then?"

"Then I can die a happy woman."

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

"Then, I guess there's nothing more to say. If that's how you want to live your life I guess I can't tell you otherwise."

"We give our own lives meaning, this is mine. Why do you even want to protect them? They betrayed you."

"I'm not in the habit of letting innocent people die if I can stop it." at this she chuckled, walking around with resignation.

"You know, you're more of a 'hero' than you make yourself out to be, Nightshade."

"If only that were true" I laughed back in response. At that we simply stared at each other, neither wanting to make the first move, both hoping that the other would back away before it was too late. Once a few more minutes had passed we both realized our only option, the inevitability that lead us here. We got ready. Kneeling back I prepared for flight, she did the same. A second later I was headed in her direction. A shock-wave of energy flew in either direction as we soared across the field to one another. I primed a fist of darkness to counter her beacon of light. A breath of fury flashed across her face as he raced toward me. As the two of us collided I felt an agonizing slash cut at the side of my arm, I'd managed to absorb most of the attack, and she did the same. Though her light-based attacks are far more effective against my darkness, it forced me to use at least twice as much energy for each and every attack compared to her, something of which she was likely aware. Whipping around as I landed, I barely had a moment to look at the damage I'd done to her, if any when she came rocketing toward me. I warped myself away in the nick of time, narrowly escaping the wrath of her light with a graze on one leg. This definitely wasn't going to be easy, if anything she seemed to be even stronger than last time, or at least more eager. I couldn't let up, even for a second.

It was time to summon some help. Reaching behind me I pulled out a device I'd borrowed from a friend. What appeared to be a hand fan I whipped open to reveal a mirror in the shape of a shield. If my darkness couldn't do the trick it was time to attempt the one thing that might. I just hoped her light was purely that and not energy disguised as light. I readied a blast of darkness as I saw her flying toward me. I positioned my mirror shield in her direction as she shot another blast. The beam of light ricocheted off the shield and into the field, digging a massive crater. Though I had felt the wrath of her attacks before it was quite a thing seeing how much damage she was actually capable of. She stumbled for a moment, as though considering her next course of action. The floated in the same position for quite some time, not moving the slightest. I began to worry now, perhaps she was testing me, I decided to get a closer look when in the blink of an eye I saw a flash behind me. Moving to one side in not quite enough time her true form shot from behind me and took a chunk out of my arm. I screamed in agony, but managed to keep myself from stumbling completely. She can manipulate light, of course she can create illusions. I fell to the ground in a haste and disappeared into the shadows. When I re-emerged I was behind her in much the same fashion, but unlike me she was prepared. Creating a whip of light she hurled it at me, I managed to avoid it, though not completely and she looked to the sky as I continued to fly upward, not noticing the threat lurking below her. By the time she realized it was too late. My serpent of darkness consumed her entirely and she was stuck within. Unsurprisingly this didn't last long, a moment later a beam of light cut the serpent in half and it went falling to earth, disappearing into the darkness it emerged from. As she attempted to gather her bearings even she was surprised to see me hovering to her from the front. She attempted to shoot me down. The light pieced me straight through the heart and I was gone. A second later my true body struck her from behind with a gargantuan punch. It connected perfectly and send her flying to the earth. Even then she didn't have time to relax as an army of dark insects began to overrun her. She let out a wail of irritation, clearing the lot. By the time she raised herself from the ground I was in front of her again. I held my shield in front as she attempted to light me up, it worked this time as well, the reflected light decimating some nearby trees. I was able to reach her just in time and landed another clean hit, or so I thought. Once again she'd replaced herself with an illusion, as my fist went straight through her dissipating head. Then, without time to think I felt something grab me from behind. A hand grabbed me by the neck and flung me to the ground. She attempted to follow up with a ground stomp but I recovered in time and flipped myself backwards, missing a kick that left an enormous crater.

I went downwards this time, appearing to vanish beneath the grass, though she seemed to know what I was up to. When I reappeared behind her she was ready for me, grabbing me yet again she flung me skyward this time, then shot up after me. It gave me just enough time to recover, priming another attack I shot an army of dark crows in her direction, she shot them down easily, but by the time she was done I was nowhere to be seen. She spent a second looking around, trying to find some sign of me, by the time she did it was too late. She looked and saw me coming from the left, before she could act she saw me approaching from the right, and below, and up above. She sent out a flare of light to deflect all of the attacks and it might have worked, were it not for the shield I held in front of my person above her. Removing the plate of glass I circled in time and sent her flying with a kick from the back of my heel. Fast as a bolt of lightning she hit the floor, leaving a massive crater made by me this time. I slowly floated down, keeping my eye on her for any more illusions. As she raised herself from the ground I detected an air of annoyance, rather than anger. She stood across from me now, and I could tell her final attack was incoming. It seemed I would have to do the same. She then did something I truly wasn't expecting and smiled. Laughing a moment she then spoke to me with what little breath she had.

"You know... in another life... we might have been good friends."

"Perhaps." I said back. Standing back as I summed all my energy, as did she. We stood for a whole minute each, me summoning a dragon of darkness the size of big ben, her summoning a bird of a similar size. It seemed this was it, she aimed her sceptre toward me, and I aimed my fist. We both caught our breath for a second and then jumped for one another. Our beasts flew through the air in a beautiful sight of equilibrium. When they clashed the impact was felt for miles. The never-ending light verses the eternal darkness, we were finally going to get our resolution to the age old bout. I felt myself fading as the light pulsated through me, I could see the same happening to her. I vanished into nothingness as reality around me appeared to splinter. Then, there was darkness.

When I came to, not more than a minute later I was lying in the ground. I looked over, so was she. Most of my clothes were gone, so were hers, but at least my body seemed to be in one piece, guess I underestimated myself. I inched myself over to her, barely able to move a muscle. The sun was rising now, it had been a long night. I lay next to her in relief that it was finally over, we both seemed to make it. It was a better ending than I could have hoped for; that was until she spoke.

"Not exactly how I thought I'd go out, but I must say it's been an honour."

"You'll be fine."

"No, no... definitely no. I might look okay but trust me I can feel it."

"Feel what?"

"My body returning to the light. It's what happens to my people when it's... our time." she said, I wanted to cry, though barely had the energy to even do that.

"God, I'm so sorry."

"I don't blame you. You're a victim of the diaspora like me after all."

"It's hard to feel like the victim at a time like this."

"But you are. Never forget that, we didn't choose to place ourselves here, our families did."

"I guess, doesn't make it right."

"It's never been right, even when we were at peace it was off the back of others... I just wish... I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Does it?"

"Yes, it does. By the way, you can keep my sceptre, it won't be going anywhere. If you ever do decide to turn on your home world, use it to give 'em what for." she said, at that I laughed, coughing up blood soon after.

"Damn"

"I don't think I caught your name."

"Eve. Eve Eden."

"I'm Siara, though I think I told you already."

"That you did." I said, and with that we continued staring into the sky as the sun rose, leaving behind the eternal night. We lay in silence for quite some time, until she spoke the words I was dreading.

"Well, looks like this is it." she said, as I looked to her I was taken aback at the sight before me, she was glowing, every part of her, from her skin to her clothes, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Ugh, I'm so sorry Siara... I just... I just wish..."

"It's okay. Just do me one favour."

"What?"

"Never stop being you, the world needs a hero like Nightshade." she said, and with that the glowing woman vanished into the rising sun and disappeared into eternity, Alice Oakley appearing unconscious in her place. I lay on the field for a while afterwards, being forced to make my escape once onlookers started approaching, agonizing as it was. When I got back to my place, and when I recovered, I decided to make notes of these exploits. I couldn't let this go unwritten. Even if this was the only story of mines I ever wrote. I still remember those final words, beckoning to me as though she spoke them herself;

Siara, the White Widow; gone, but not forgotten.


End file.
